Embroidery-hoop.



H. E. PIPE. EMBROIDERY HOOP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1909.

935 ,841 Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

291mm M at far HARRY n. FIFE, or can'ron, onro.

EMBROIDERY-HOOP.

Application filed April 5, 1809. Serial No. 487,937.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 5, 1939.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRYE. FIFE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Embroidery-Hoop, of whicht-he following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to improvements in devices for holding or supporting cloth or other fabric upon which it is desired to embroider designs or do similar work, and particularly relates to a device wherein two rings are provided, the relative adaptation of said rings being such that the one may be arranged within the other, the fabric to be worked upon being held and supported in a taut condition across the inner ring, the edges of the said fabric being clamped between the two rings.

The objects of my improvement are, to more firmly and securely hold the fabric in place and to provide a device of sim le construction which will be easily manufactured and cheap in cost while proving thoroughly efficient and more perfectly adapted to fully accomplish its objects in a satisfactory manner than devices which have heretofore been used. I attain these objects, together with other objects readily apparent to those skilled in the art, by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a perspective view ofthe inner and outer rings separated from each other to more fully disclose the construction. Fig. 2 is a sectional view upon a diametrical plane illustrating the inner ring, the fabric and the outer ring, the said outer" ring being in position to be pressed down over the fabric and inner ring. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view including a transverse section of the two rings with the fabric properly clamped between them.

Throughout the several views similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts.

The numeral 1 indicates the cloth or fabric to be held or supported upon the embroidery hoop. The numerals and 3 indicate the inner and outer-rings the embroidery hoop respectively. Both of the said rings are preferably formed ofwood or similar substance, light in weight, firm, but somewhat resilient. The inner ring 2 is provided with an external fiat face, 4, upon which is securely fastened by cement or other means a cushion or friction band, 5. This friction band may be made of felt or other material of analogous frictional and elastic qualities and is formed externally convex in are such; that whenthe said rings are telescoped as illustrated in Fig. 3, the concave inner'surface of the ring3 will lie closely adjacent the convex outer surface of the friction band 5, so that any fabric located between them will be firmly clamped.

In placing the fabric upon the hoop the ring 2 is held in convenient position and the fabric is laid across one of the edges as illustrated in Fig. 2. The ring 3 is then arranged as shown in Fig. 2. By a reference to' saidfigure it will be noted that the edge of the ring 3 bears against the fabric at a point near the edge of the frictionband The diameter of the ring 3 at its edge is somewhat less than the diameter across the ring 2 at the pointof greatest convexity of the band 5. The band 5 being constructed of frictional, elastic material is compressible to a certain degree and it will be understood that by pressing downwardly upon the ring,-

3 the fabric 1 will be clamped between the edge of the ring 3 and the band 5 and by the further advance of the ring 3 over the fabric and band 5 the fabric will be drawn tightly across the ring 2 as the band 5 is compressed, so that when the ring 3 has at last attained the position illustrated in Fig. 3 the fabric extendingacross the hoop will be in a taut condition admirably adapted to be worked upon.

One advantage of peculiar importance possessed by my invented construction is that the rings 2 and 3 will not become readily displaced when once they have assumed the position illustrated in Fig. 3. The. band 5 is of such thickness as to firmly engage the fabric between itself and the concave surface of the ring 3. If at any time the fabric becomes loosened upon the hoop by reason of the strains upon it incident to performing the work the said fabric may be readily tightened by drawing upon the free edges 5 thereof. In so drawing uponthe edges 6 the fabric will be forcibly drawn between the friction band and the ring 3, but the ring 3 being of less diameter at its edges than at its central portion will not become displaced with reference to the ring 2,-but will retain its appropriate relative position and permit the fabric 1 to move between itself and the friction band 5. The same' advantageous construction which permits the tightening of the fabric on the hoop as just described also prevents the disarranging of the rings by any strain or drawing upon the taut portion of the fabric, as the relative shape and arrangement of the friction band and hoop 3 are such as to prevent the accidental slipping of the hoop 3 off of the friction band 5 in either direction.

In analogous devices heretofore con- 1 structed the area of frictional contact be tween the band and the fabriehas been relatively small. It should be especially noted that in my construction the fabric is clamped between the outer ring and the frictionband in such manner that the said band may frictionally engage the fabric for the full width of the said band. Again if the fabric is drawn in a manner calculated to loosen the same it will be noted thatthe portion of the fabric located between the two rings will at all points around the ring 2 be drawn into closer contact with the friction band 5. The portion of the fabric between the two rings is held in what may be termed-a convexoconcave position as illustrated in Fig. 3. When any force is exerted tending to draw the fabric between the rims the effect of the drawing action on said fabric will be to straighten] the conveXo-concave clamped tion band, thus utilizing in the most eflicient manner the full width of the band 5 in holding the fabric against displacement.

portion against the elastic action of the fric- I claim 1. ,An embroidery hoop comprising two rings the one adapted to be arranged within the other, the peripheral face of the inner ring provided with a friction band and the outer ring .of less internal diameter at its edges than at a point mid-way between said edges, the edges of said outer ring being adapted to engage the friction band and compress the same during telescoping the said rings.

2. In an embroidery'hoop, the combination of an inner ring provided upon its outer face with a. convex, annular, elastic, frictional band, and an outer ring provided upon its inner face with a concave annular groove, the diameter of the outer ring at its edges being less than the diameter across the inner ringat the point of greatest convexity of said frictional band.

3. An embroidery hoop comprising two resilient rings, the one adapted to be arranged within the other, the external diameter of the inner ring varying in different annular planes from edge to edge, the internal diameter of the outer ring varying in difierent annular planes from edge to edge, and the greatest external diameter of the inner ring larger than the smallest internal diameter of the outer ring.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY. E. FIFE.

Witnesses 7 JOHN H. SPONSELLS, WILLIAM H. MILLER.

the operation of 

